Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-01-06
TILE CALICO FROCK.

TILE CALICO FR0CK.
Il wasn't hot day. nor cold day,
nor damp day, but it was an afro
cious daF, a clammy day IAN rnbeara-
BE day, ilday that made your clothes
stick 70 ,rcu like poor relations, that
brought out cold sweats on pitchers
and gobh.ts, that made your back a
race course for contemplate little
ehills AMI the rest OF your body tar
get for a thousand invisible pins and
needles, that made the grasshopper a
burden aad the dusty, begrimed city
a pandenionium. that made Solomon
Grircs, b.lchelor. OF the firm of Griggs,
Makem & Co., the great clothing mer-
chants, shut up his ledger with bang
and start for the country by the next
train. reniarking to the old Grimesby,
the head clerk, ''that the city was
sitting" To which that worthy re-
! plied: $50 it is; but how about the
fsllers that can't ret out of it and
must stay to be choked2"-a problem
which suspect our friend of the firm
Of Grisss, Makem & Co. troubled his
head very little about, being just then
busy in lopking intothe dusty recesses
Of that picture gallery which memory
furnishes and arranges for us all, at
single landscape hanging there. A
low house with messy, overhanging
caves, standing on the slope ola green
Hill. shaded by branching elms, with
level fields stretching of in the fore
ground toward the sparkling water
on one side and dusky woods on the
other, and there, dusty, sweating. and
tired, Solomon found himself Just
shout sunset. Out came a rudy
checked, Smiling old lady in cap and
an apron that had attained a state
OF snowy perfection unknown to city
iaundres ses.
aWhy, bless noe, if it isn't little Sol.
why, who'd a thought of seeing
your and she folded the stalwart
bearded nan in as warm an embrace
as though be were in reality still the
little Sol. III former days.
Sand how do you do, SOL? Come
in, come I'M don't stand out there.
You know the little path and the
way to the pantry yet, ! dare say.
Come m; y,,n needn't start baek-it's
only Racbs."
ssBut / didn't know Won had any
yocng ladhss with you, Aunt Hester"
1t onlF Rachel, ltell you Rachel
Hart, the seamstressS Are there no
women in your city, that you are
afssid to face little country girl. y
eIittle il deed" thought Solomon,
rs he acknowledged his aunt's some
mhat pecul ar introduetion-and not
pretty eithT-with large eyes of that
uncertain gray that sometimes beams
4 darby blue and then deepens into
brown; with smooth, low forehead,
and light brown hair drawn tightly
across each ear, Just revealing its
crimson tip; a face irregularly feat
ured. and r,ndered still more striking
by the singular contrast between its
extreme palor and the intensely scar
eft lips-ths persouiication OF neat
ness. the embodiment of reserve.
An odd little person" thought
solomon, ilut it's none OF nay bust
ness" and Diminishing her from his
mind. be proceeded to the much more
important l,usiness of making him
self present,tbie at Aunt Hester's tea
table
Solomon did ample Justice to the
snowy bread, golden butter, and lus-
rious STRAWBERRIES, and later, as that
worthy was INDUCING N a stroll
across the felds. he lifted up his eyes
and beheld the little seamstress,
whose existence he had quite forgot
ten. under venerable cherry tree,
making DESPERATE efforts to seize a
tempting br.lnch on it's lowest boughs
revealing in her gyrations a very
neat loot and ankle, and looking al
most pretty with her flushed cheeks
and sparkling eyes.
Now Sol was gallant man-decid-
edIy the 2reux chevalier of the firm
of Griggs, Makem & Co, so that
whenever, AS had once or twice hap
peEed. a pe.ticoat ventured into the
noldy shades OF that establishment,
Sol was the man whom destiny and
the other partners selected to parley
With the enemy.
Advancing, therefore, with happy
mixture of confidence and condescen-
sion, Sol plusketl the cherries and was
about to present them when indepen-
dence IN calico froek stepped back
and with cooi:
keep then yourself, sir; ! don't
care for them"
Il thought you wanted them"
stammered FOL
SO did, because they were difficult
to obtain. Had they been on your
annt's table wouldn't have touched
them. 1t is the glow of triumph that
gives pleasure to its zest. Eat the
cherries yourself, and good evening
sir!'
stop momenti" said Sol, not a
little astonished; "tbat isl mean
permit me accompany youl"
No, you would expect me to enter
tain you, and thatwould bet too much
trouble"
"But, if instead, i should entertain
your"
you can rot"
'why?"
'sYou could tell me nothing new.
You are only crucible for convert
ing bales of cloth into the precious
Ore that all the world goes mad after.
No doubt you are all very well IN
your way, bat there are alcbemists
who could transmute our humdrum
daily life into golden verse or heaven
~ thought. To such one | might
listen, but you and / have nothing In
common"
"Not even our humanity" asked
Solomon.
The stern f.ce of the young girl soft
sned little, but only for moment.
NO" she answered, angrily, mot
even that. j, you know, am made OF
tae inferior clay-you OF the pure
porcelain. Do you not remember now
even good. kind Aunt Hester told you
there were no young ladies with her, on
iy the seamstress. You are slightly Dor
edalready, and think Inc odd enough to
amase you TO-. while; but If some OF
these gay ladies--among whom l hear
you are such !, iavorite-were to come
you would not even know me. Good
evening. SIR"
"What a furious little radical, .
thought Sol, with an uneasy laugh,
as be WATCHED her retreating figure
Alter all, be was not quite sure that
she had not spoken the truth.
4 the c&li.o frock had been q
Bounced silk. Tor instance, how many
degrees more 6sferential would have
been his mariner in presenting the
cherries.
CURRY the sxcond: